1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to methods and devices for displaying three dimensional (3D) images including lens arrays and devices for use in viewing or displaying images that are interlaced to display animated, 3D, and other images, and, more particularly, to display or optical systems, as well as products incorporating such systems and methods of using such systems, that include a lenticular lens array or substrate used in combination with electronic devices, such as computers and handheld electronic devices and televisions, to allow a user to clearly view or focus on an image displayed on the display screen or monitor of the electronic device (e.g., a digital image including a set of interlaced images).
2. Relevant Background
For many years, entities doing business on the internet have searched for ways to drive user traffic to their web sites. Many web sites have even been created with the sole goal of getting a large number of hits or visits so as to increase their revenues by providing advertising and links to other sites on their web site. More recently, businesses that have been traditionally brick and mortar businesses have been attempting to develop a web-based presence and to try to get their customers to make purchases and obtain services through their web site. This allows these businesses to both reach more customers, e.g., customers that cannot readily visit one of their physical locations, and also to reduce their overhead such as by allowing the business to reduce the number of branches or locations they maintain to server their customers. For example, the banking industry is making a large push to convince their customers to bank online so that they can operate fewer branch offices. Additionally, banks and other businesses are trying to encourage their customers to pay their bills online or electronically to avoid costs associated with processing paper invoices and customers' paper checks. As a result, there is an ongoing and increasing demand for new ways to encourage people to visit and use online services such as those provided through web sites via the Internet.
One recent technique to drive Internet traffic is the use of alternate reality games or ARGs. For example, ARGs have been used by television networks and movie companies to cause fans of certain shows to search the web for clues to win a game and, in some cases, prizes are awarded to the successful Internet players or detectives. In one implementation, viewers of a show were directed to a first web site where they had to solve a puzzle to get directions to or a link to another web site and so on. These Internet games or scavenger hunts have often been effective marketing campaigns with some being driven by fans' desires to learn more about the show's characters.
Another technique that has been tried by marketing companies is the use lottery type games. In these games, a flyer is sometimes mailed to or otherwise provided to an individual. The flyer may include a code along with a web site URL. The individual is instructed to visit the site to see if their code is a winner in the game. This type of game has also been used with beverages with the code being provided under a portion of the label or on the inside of a bottle cap. In some more complex systems, a game piece is provided to the consumer or player, and the game piece is printed with a layer of colored ink in a pattern that includes a hidden image that is viewable when matched with an electronic image provided on a web site. Alternatively, the pattern may be used as a filter to allow viewing of a hidden image in the electronic image. Such hidden game pieces are described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,406,062 to Brooks et al.
While the use of ARGs, game or lottery codes, and color filtered game pieces have enjoyed some success in marketing businesses and driving traffic to particular web sites, there remains a significant demand for new and interesting ways to get more and more people to participate in such games or to visit web sites. Preferably, methods and systems created to address these demands would be inexpensive to implement, would be effective in increasing a large number of people to participate, and would be useful for encouraging a desired action by the web site visitor (such as to pay their bills online, to follow a link to another site, to provide contact/demographic information, and the like).